What is your classroom management profile?Although there are general guidelines for creating and maintaining a positive learning environment, it is a complex puzzle and every teacher has to experiment to find strategies and ways of responding to students that work effectively.
Classroom Management
FOCUSING
Be sure you have the attention of everyone before you start your lesson.
Don¡¯t attempt to teach over the chatter of students.Successful teachers place more emphasis on classroom management than on their roles as authority figures or disciplinarians.
Inexperienced Teachers
May think that by beginning their lesson, the class will settle down.
BUT
Students are going to think that you are willing to compete with them, that you don¡¯t mind talking while they talk.Experienced Teachers
Know that silence is very effective.They will wait 3 to 5 seconds after the classroom is completely quiet. Then they begin their lesson using a quieter voice than normal.
DIRECT INSTRUCTION
Begin each class by telling the students exactly what will be happening.
I outline what the students will be doing. I may set time limits for some tasks.MONITORING
Walk around the room. While your students are working, make the rounds. Check on their progress.
Students who are not yet quite on task will be quick to get going as they see me approach. Those that were distracted or slow to get started can be nudged along.
The teacher does not interrupt the class or try to make general announcements unless several students have difficulty with the same thing.
Use a quiet voice and students will appreciate your personal and positive attention.
MODELING
Be courteous, prompt, enthusiastic, in control, patient and organized provide examples for students.
The ¡°do as I say, not as I do¡± sends mixed messages that confuse students and invite misbehavior.
If I want students to use quiet voices in my classroom while they work, I too will use a quiet voice as I move through the room helping students.NON-VERBAL CUING
Can also be facial expressions, body posture and hand signals.Take time to explain what you want the students to do when you use your cues. Example, look at me, flip light switches, clickers in my pocket
ASSERTIVE I-MESSAGES
Used when confronting a student who is misbehaving. I messages are intended to be clear descriptions of what the student is suppose to do.Inexperienced Teachers
May incorrectly try ¡°I want you to stop...¡± only to discover that this usually triggers confrontation and denial.
The focus is on the misbehavior and the student is quick to retort: ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing anything!¡± or ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault...¡± or "Since when is there a rule against...¡± and escalation has begun.
Experienced Teachers
Focus on the student¡¯s attention first on the behavior the teacher wants, not on the misbehavior.
¡°I want you to...¡± or ¡°I need you to...¡± or ¡°I expect you to...¡±HUMANISTIC I – MESSAGES
First, include a description of the student¡¯s behavior. "When you talk while I talk...¡±
Second, relate the effect this behavior has on the teacher."...I have to stop my teaching...¡±
Third, let the student know the feeling that it generates in the teacher. "...which frustrates me.¡±
I don¡¯t know what I have done to you that I do not deserve the respect from you that I get from the others in this class. If I have been rude to you in any way, please let me know. I feel as though I have somehow offended you and now you are unwilling to show me respect.¡±
POSITIVE DISCIPLINE
Use classroom rules that describe the behaviors you want instead of listing things the students cannot do.
Instead of ¡°no-running in the room,¡± use ¡°move through the building in an orderly manner.¡±
Instead of ¡°no fighting,¡° use ¡°settle conflicts appropriately.¡±
Instead of ¡°no gum chewing,¡± use ¡°leave gum at home.¡±RULES FOR THE TEACHER
1) Teacher will prepare for classes.
2) Teacher will not give too much homework.
3) Teacher will listen to students.
4) Teacher will try to prepare interesting classes (but some classes may not be interesting).
Points to remember:Have a copy of your routines and procedures to hand to each of your students on the first day of school. (Keep extra copies on hand for new students who arrive later in the year.)
Do not simply hand out the list, go over it once, and expect the students to comply.Teach the most important, key procedures over a period of days, one or two at a time.
• Explain the rationale behind the routine or procedure.
• Model the routine or procedure for the students.
• Give the students non-examples of compliance.
• Have the students (or one student) model the procedure.Teach the less important routines and procedure by simply stating the routine or procedure, monitoring it, and reinforcing it when necessary.
Be consistent. Don't give up after a few days. The time spent teaching, monitoring and reinforcing routines and procedures during the first three weeks of school will pay tremendous dividends. If the routines and procedures are established at the beginning of the year, the entire rest of the year will be more enjoyable and productive for both you and your students.
They have been adapted from an article called: ¡°A Primer on Classroom Discipline: Principles Old and New¡± by Thomas R. McDaniel, Phi Delta Kappan, September 1986.
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